How safe are the items you are purchasing online?
By Greg Owens
On January 24, 2020 there was a press conference in Washington given by the Department of Homeland Security, which is responsible for US Customs, and Dr. Peter Navarro, Assistant to the President for Trade and Manufacturing Policy.
Think about the last time you made an online purchase. You may be shocked to discover an issue that you have never heard about which affects you and your family, in terms of health, safety and has a major negative impact on our economy.
Paramount in their discovery is that we need to educate the American people about the dangers of untethered international e-commerce. Their sting operation called “Megaflex” discovered tens of thousands of counterfeit and pirated goods flooding into the United States under the “express shipment clause”. Under this exception to formal importation Customs does not record what came in, who it came from, where it is going, what it is, or verify how much it is worth. The packages simply flood into our country at a rate of 1.8 million per day —> unchecked.
“Counterfeit and pirated items are not just fake Rolex watches and name brand clothing. Items seized include prescription and over the counter drugs the did not work and in some cases contained fentanyl, fake vitamins and supplements, fake baby formula tainted with harmful contaminants, fake brand name food products are uninspected and unregulated, and even fake air bags that do not work at all. The list goes on and on.”
Watch the DHS Press Conference Here
To read the full report, which has a three page executive summary, click here: https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/20_0124_plcy_counterfeit-pirated-goods-report_01.pdf
Please share this post and the links so that your friends, family and others can become informed consumers and protect themselves from dangerous counterfeit food, drugs, supplements and general merchandise being sold on Amazon, eBay, Facebook and other websites that promote sales via e-commerce.
Stay informed about progress on this issue and other issues involving international trade that in a depth that is not presented by standard news outlets, check out CPA’s Press section. You can also have the latest news and information delivered to your inbox weekly here.
